They_Came_to_Baghdad-Agatha_Christie

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Victoria woke with confused memories - a bumping car - Arabs arguing - a horrible feeling that she would be sick - then she remembered lying on a bed and an injection - then more darkness. Something had happened - that horrible smell - chloroform, of course. And then a sleeping drug. Well, they hadn't killed her. So that was all right. She was lying on a hard bed in a small room with a floor of hard earth. There was an old table with a basin on it and a bucket underneath it - and a window with wooden bars outside. Victoria got off the bed slowly, feeling headachy, and went to the window. She could see through the bars into a garden with palm trees beyond it. She turned to the door, which was large and locked. She went back and sat on the bed. Where was she? Not in Baghdad, that was certain. And what was she going to do next? Even more important, what was someone going to do to her? She heard footsteps and then there was the noise of a very large key in an old lock. The door opened slowly. An Arab carried in a tray. He spoke some Arabic, put down the tray and left, locking the door behind him. On the tray was a large bowl of rice, some cabbage leaves and a big piece of Arab bread - also a jug of water and a glass. Victoria drank some water and then started eating hungrily. When she had finished everything, she felt much better. She also felt that it would be much better if by tomorrow she was somewhere else. But was that possible? She went to examine the door, but there was nothing she could do. This wasn't the kind of lock you could open easily. The window - she could break the wooden bars. But the noise would attract attention. 'Damn.' said Victoria. She approached the old table for another drink of water - and some fell on the floor. At once it turned into mud. An idea formed in Miss Victoria Jones' always active brain. The sun was setting. Very soon it would be dark. What she needed was something to push with. She looked round. On the table was a large spoon. That might be useful. She went back to the door and pushed vigorously through the large keyhole until the key fell out. 'Now,' Victoria thought, 'I must hurry, before the light goes completely.' She picked up the jug of water and poured some at the bottom of the door near where she thought the key had fallen on the other side. Then, using the spoon, she began to dig out the wet part. Little by little, pouring more water, she dug a hole under the door. Lying down, she could get her arm through it. She felt about and found the key, pulling it back to her side of the door. Holding the key in her muddy hand, Victoria waited until some dogs started barking loudly, then she turned the key in the lock. The door opened, showing her another room - with an open door at the other end. It led out to the garden. A piece of ragged black material lay near the outside door. It was an old aba, the large, loose dress that Arab women wore. It would be useful for covering her Western clothes. Victoria would wait until the
village went to sleep and then she would go. It seemed to Victoria that she waited for hours but at last the human noises stopped. She heard only the distant barking of dogs. The moon was low in the sky. It gave enough light to see her way to the opening in the mud wall around the garden. She walked quickly through some trees and came out into an alley between mud-brick walls. Victoria ran along it as fast as she could. Now dogs began to bark loudly. Victoria turned a corner and came into the main street. Narrow and rough, it ran through a village of mud-brick houses, all pale in the moonlight. Palms hung over walls, dogs barked. Victoria ran. Soon she came out to a muddy river with an old stone bridge over it - and a track heading out into the desert. Victoria ran until she was out of breath. The village was far behind her now. The moon was high. To her left and right and front was open stony ground without any sign of people. And Victoria had no idea in what direction the track led. But it was impossible to turn back. She started walking towards the unknown. Morning came at last. Victoria was exhausted and her feet were sore. She saw that she was heading southwest, and to the side of the road ahead of her was a low, flat-topped hill. Victoria left the track and went towards it, climbing to the top. With a feeling of panic she looked at the country all around. Everywhere there was nothing. The scene was beautiful in the early morning light. The ground and horizon were coloured with faint shades of orange and cream on which were patterns of shadows. It was beautiful, but frightening. 'I know what it means now,' thought Victoria, 'when someone says they are alone in the world.' Suddenly she heard a car. It was coming towards the village - so it was not someone chasing her. It was still only a small black dot far off on the track. But suppose this was the enemy? Victoria went down the hill as quickly as she could and then lay down. She watched the car come nearer. There was an Arab driver and beside him a man in European clothes. 'Now,' thought Victoria, 'I've got to decide.' Should she stop the car? How could she be sure? The track was deserted. Nothing had passed - not even a donkey. Perhaps this car was going to the village she had left last night? If it was the enemy, it was the end. But it might be her only hope of survival. What should she do? As she lay there considering, the car slowed, then it came off the road towards the hill. It had seen her! Victoria crawled round the back of the hill. She heard the car stop and the bang of a door. Then somebody said something in Arabic. Suddenly a man came into view. He was walking round the hill, halfway up. His eyes were on the ground and from time to time he bent down and picked something up.
Page 2 and 3: CHAPTER ONE Rashid Street was sunny
Page 5 and 6: CHAPTER TWO Victoria Jones was sitt
Page 7 and 8: They heard a clock in the distance
Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER FOUR Somehow or other Victo
Page 11 and 12: 'Oh! The archaeologist?' 'Yes. I'm
Page 13 and 14: 'He was my brother. He died three d
Page 15 and 16: dancing excitedly, the dark- skinne
Page 17 and 18: CHAPTER SEVEN Travelling by air, Vi
Page 19 and 20: during the afternoon. Mrs Clipp's f
Page 21 and 22: CHAPTER NINE From Baghdad Airport t
Page 23 and 24: Victoria began to feel rather jealo
Page 25 and 26: 'Well, perhaps. Can I see Dr Rathbo
Page 27 and 28: CHAPTER ELEVEN Victoria arrived bac
Page 29 and 30: Sir Rupert's door opened silently t
Page 31 and 32: His lips opened - the sound was so
Page 33 and 34: CHAPTER THIRTEEN Victoria lay in be
Page 35 and 36: 'Why?' 'Because we think so too,' s
Page 37 and 38: Edward's admiring look caused Victo
Page 39 and 40: 'How could he come into your room i
Page 41 and 42: 'You found your young man?' asked M
Page 43 and 44: CHAPTER SIXTEEN The old car bumped
Page 45: shampoo placed round it. Catherine
Page 49 and 50: 'I suppose you're the anthropologis
Page 51 and 52: CHAPTER EIGHT Richard found Dr Paun
Page 53 and 54: only the other day at Basrah. First
Page 55 and 56: CHAPTER NINETEEN The night before t
Page 57 and 58: CHAPTER TWENTY Victoria, Richard an
Page 59 and 60: CHAPTER TWENTY ONE Victoria sat on
Page 61 and 62: have arranged it. Oh Edward, you ar
Page 63 and 64: 'What will the documents say?' Edwa
Page 65 and 66: CHAPTER TWENTY TWO 'You know,' said
Page 67 and 68: The other day I learnt from Victori
Page 69: had a lot of friends.' 'He must hav

They_Came_to_Baghdad-Agatha_Christie

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